Self employed engineer, can I employ my wife?

Dh6

Hi, I am a self employed heating engineer. My wife is currently looking for work after a long term illness. 

Ad hoc hours would suit her as she’s still in recovery but all of the part time jobs she’s looked at are not suitable for her as it stands.

My hours are long, mentally and physically tiring. Could I employ my wife to assist with book keeping, collecting and delivering parts and responding to text messages and email enquiries?

This would take a lot of pressure off me and would suit my wife until she’s healthy enough to look for a part time or full time job herself.

Thanks DH

ritz55

Hi, there is no reason you can’t. Add her to the pay roll and is treated as any other employee 

molerat

No reason why not but you would have to take on all the responsibilities of an employer.

Woodstok2000

You need to make sure she's doing genuine work, and she's being paid a commercial wage, and that your registered as an employer and follow tax laws. Other than that nothing to stop you employing her the same as you would anyone else.

Marcon

Dh6 said:

Hi, I am a self employed heating engineer. My wife is currently looking for work after a long term illness. 

Ad hoc hours would suit her as she’s still in recovery but all of the part time jobs she’s looked at are not suitable for her as it stands.

My hours are long, mentally and physically tiring. Could I employ my wife to assist with book keeping, collecting and delivering parts and responding to text messages and email enquiries?

This would take a lot of pressure off me and would suit my wife until she’s healthy enough to look for a part time or full time job herself.

Thanks DH

Yes. 

Even if your wife has never run a payroll before, HMRC's free software makes it pretty straightforward. Start here: https://www.gov.uk/basic-paye-tools

Grumpy_chap

The OP may find this recent thread about employing a partner worth a read:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6651154/register-as-an-employer-to-save-money/p1

MyRealNameToo

Dh6 said:

Hi, I am a self employed heating engineer. My wife is currently looking for work after a long term illness. 

Ad hoc hours would suit her as she’s still in recovery but all of the part time jobs she’s looked at are not suitable for her as it stands.

My hours are long, mentally and physically tiring. Could I employ my wife to assist with book keeping, collecting and delivering parts and responding to text messages and email enquiries?

This would take a lot of pressure off me and would suit my wife until she’s healthy enough to look for a part time or full time job herself.

You can but HMRC are fairly hot on people "employing" close family members as a tax dodge. As long as the hours are genuinely worked and pay commensurate to market rates you should be fine... pay her £30k a year and in reality she does an hour of book keeping a quarter then you could find yourself in hot water. 

Being an employer potentially has various legal requirements around Employers Liability insurance, offering an auto-enrolment pension (even if no one takes it) etc. Make sure you understand them and how they apply in your situation before deciding how to take this idea forward. 

Dh6

Sounds like I need to do some homework. It is certainly not a tax dodge, the assistance is genuinely required.

Does anyone have a link to a HMRC document with advice on how to go about it please?

Thanks DH

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Dh6 said:

Sounds like I need to do some homework. It is certainly not a tax dodge, the assistance is genuinely required.

Does anyone have a link to a HMRC document with advice on how to go about it please?

Thanks DH

Probably a decent starting point,

https://www.gov.uk/get-ready-to-employ-someone

mlz1413

Do you have accounts software like Xero or Sage?
These often have payroll add ons.

Or if you use an accountant they often offer a payroll for a small sum, but they may have changed from the last time I looked.

Agree a basic contract, ie 25 hours per week, prefered hours 10am to 2pm, but hours are flexible to suit.
(You could add that only hours worked are paid)
 @ £x ph.
Basic holidays 
SSP for sickness
Nest work pension (if eligible and all payroll software works this out).

You could make this a fixed term of 1 year and agree a review at month 10 to allow for 2 months notice.

Sounds formal, but it just means you can prove the agreement/intention.

I used to be self employed and 1 day a week i did my partners books, I invoiced him for that work. So you could look into your wife going self employed, but probably not worth it for a temporary job.